“Breast cancer runs like a river through my family. My mother and niece had it; my aunt died of it. Even if you test negative [for genetic mutations that predispose you to cancer] – like I did – you can’t assume you’re OK,”

As she ages, Bates, 65, says she wishes she wasn’t getting older.

“I wish I had legs that were 50 inches long and thin. I’m sorry I had to have my breasts removed. There are lots of things I wish were different, but I have wonderful friends I rely on for my happiness,” Bates says. “And I’ve been blessed with a keen mind and many interests.”

But even though her body has changed, she hasn’t lost the spark that audiences have fallen in love with.

“We’re so fixated on the movie star look that it’s been a bit of a struggle to find the kind of roles I would love to do,” she explains. “An interviewer once said to me, ‘Well, you’re not Michelle Pfeiffer.’ I thought that was so rude! I told him, ‘Well, she’s not me.’ ”